Omaha daily bee., 1887-01-03
MINISTER MANNINC'S MESCAL
Scientific Gentlemen Test the Famous Mexi-
can Drink and Are Paralyzed.
HARD TIME At THE WHITE HOUSE
Mrs. Cleveland Has a Very Uncom-
Portable Holiday Week-Frcnch
spoliation Claims and the
Surplus-Capital News.
Red LIQUOR Discounted.

WASHINGTON, Jan. Especial Tcle-
gram to the BEE. Minister Mannng's con
duct In Mexico continues to be topic OF dis
cussion here, and what will become OF the
case is a much mooted question. A short
time ago some officials connected with the
sci entfc bureau of the government con-
cludcd to test the effect of the famed mes
cal. In order that they might try the real
stuff" they sent for supply to Piedras Ne
gras. The tipple arrived on Tuesday, and
Friday afternoon about dozen of them met
in a club house and tried the drink in very
small doses. Only one OF the party has so
far been able to give his experience. lie says
the others may be able to put In an appear
ance at their respective offices by Tuesday, If
they suffer no relapses, but they all curse
mescal from the bottom of their hearts. This
one says he drank less than a quarter of
gill; mixed with about the same quantity of
port wine. He remembers nothing since 5
o'clock Friday afternoon, but gives 1t as his
opinion that II IL can be proved that citizens
Of Mexico really did put any of the stuff in
,Manning's wine the United States has
good cause for declaration of war;
MRS. CLEyELAND's UNCOMFORTABLE WEEK.
Never has the mistress of the executive
mansion known so uncomfortable q week as
that just past, according to her own testi-
mony given in an observation to an acquaint-
ance on Friday. The main reason for her
discomfort was her anxiety concerning the
president, who has really had a very severe
attack of rheumatism, and the horrible
weather which has marked the closing days
of the year. Mrs. Cleveland's nervous Or
Ranization is of so fine an order that she IS
singularly sensitive to radical changes in the
weather. The presidents illness and the oh
stnate nature OF the attack, which resists
medication with unusual stubbornneSs, rem
dered Mrs. Cleveland extremely uneasy
Though she was told there was little danger,
yet the sudden taking off of Senator Logan
made the well meant assurances OF friends
less effective than they would have been
under ordinary circumstances. Late on
Tuesday afternoon, after the callers at Mrs.
Villas had almost finished their visits, Mrs.
Cleveland with her mother came in to con-
gratulate the postmaster generals young
daughter upon her formal muster in' to
society. Mrs Clevelands toilette was a pur-
plevolet gown which she wore when she
sat for the famous portrait made by the
great artist and proprietor of Puck. Her hat
was small, of dark brown, trimmed with
feather and ribbons of topaz red. The only
visible ornament was a diamond horseshoe
pin, with which she fastened the standing
collar worn with the suit. on Friday, ut
General Logan's funeral services. Mrs,
Cleveland's costume was of the simpest-a
black cloth suit, very plain and worn with
out any ornaments, and n little black hat,
and long black gloves. She seemed greatly
impressed by the solemnity Of the occasion.
FRENCH sPoILArlON CLAIMS.
The time for filing French sp9liation claims
will expire on the 2Oth of January next and
it is probable that by that time great many
cases will be still unprepared and all hope
will in consequence depart of ever
/. .it,tr tni.
for losses. incurred upwards of
one hundred years ago. Up to the
present time eleven cases have been decided
and have been referred back to congress with
the Recommendation that they should be
paid. They went to the judiciary committee
and Rudolph Tucker is charged with the duty
OF preparing report recommending their
payment This will probably be forthcoming
when Mr.. Tucker secs fit to assume his seat
Iii congress. Ii is said that about thousand
cases known to exist are still back, the at
torneys having been unable to prepare them
rapidly enough to file them up to the present
time. Congress can scarcely cvade the pay
ment OF these claims, now that the court to
which they were referred has unanimously
liable. 1t ' is said, however, by by
interested parties that if the state department
and department OF JUSTICE had taken the
pains to prepare brief OF the government a
but that the ease of the government was so
poorly prepared while that of the claimants
was so well set before the court, that that
tribunal could do nothing else Than decide
in favor OF the claimants. The eleven cases
which have already been settled have in
volved about $4,000. No one can have any
idea Of what the final result will be, but if
congress authorizes the payment of those adj
judlcated cases there can be no reason on
earth why the Others which are still to be de-
cided should not be paid, and as several mil
lions of dollars are said TO be involved 1t is
likely that the aggregate appropriations re-
qured for the payment OF these claims viii
aid materially in reducing that enormous
surplus in the treasury which seems TO bother
politicians so much.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR BILL.
The river and harb dor committee, which has
been sitting through the recess, has practi-
cally perfected the bill. 1t is understood that
mate ten millions of dollars. The basis of
appropriations is about IS per cent of the es-
Inmates submitted by the engineers and is
about two-thlrds of the amount appropriated
in each case by the last bill.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE. TALK.
Inc railroad men now here assert that they
have no objections to the long and short haul
clause of the conference committee inter
state commerce bill, which is likely to come
up for discussion and action this week in the
senate and within few days after that in the
house, but that the clause which prevents
pooling is a severe blow TO all corporations,
and, contrary TO the belief of the projectors
OF the measure, il is likely to prove inimical
to the, interests of the small roads,
The long and short haul clause. about
which so much has been said and written,
does not prohibit railroads from charging
greater rate per ton per mile for short dis
tance than for long distance, but il simply
provides that II TWO packages of freight are
started fr I'm the same point one to be car
ried, say, 100 miles and the other 800, the COM
pany shall not charge more for hauling the
package TO go 100 miles than Ii does for the
package to go 500 miles. This has been the
great difficulty with freight rates in the past.
Small towns have suffered from discrimina-
tions which were made In the interest OF
wholesale or manufacturing centers,.and as a
result a great many small places have been
almost crippled by discriminating freight
rates. The bill is, however, generally looked
upon as a very wise measure and one against
which no serious objections can be raised by
any Of the interested parties. II is not likely
10 meet with any serious opposition in the
house even, though the pooling clause will
doubtless be attacked with more or less vigor.
THE FEELING AGAINST CANADA.
Ii Is likely that the power OF the president
TO retalate upon Canada for its uncharitable,
unneighbOrly and unchrlstian acts towards
American fishing vessels will be extended
before the present congress comes 10 an end.
The Immediate cause of the present feeling
against the Dominion Is the fact that imperial
assent has now been given TO the new Cana
dian fisheries act which is looked upon as the
most stringent and oppressive measure Of
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